Depression Board decisions

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depressive disorder NOS, is found to be at least as likely as not related to his service-connected thoracolumbar strain. The bilateral knee disability claim remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including adjustment disorder with depressed mood and depression. The Veteran's mental health conditions are considered direct service connections without any presumption or secondary to a pre-existing condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 21, 2010 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities caused him to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to this date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which represents a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal. The Veteran's current psychiatric disability is found to be related to his in-service acoustic trauma and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and found new and material evidence. The appeal is granted in this regard.

The Board found that the Veteran's psychiatric symptoms do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD, and thus service connection is denied. The Veteran was diagnosed with anxiety disorder NOS, major depressive disorder (MDD), and mood disorder NOS, but these diagnoses are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case to determine the disability rating for the Veteran's PTSD with depression between June 1961 and March 29, 2001.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the issue of entitlement to an acquired psychiatric disorder on the merits. The Veteran is requested to provide any outstanding, pertinent private medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder warranted a 30 percent rating since May 8, 2006. The effective date for this rating is July 1, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, clearly and unmistakably preexisted service and was not shown to be clearly and unmistakably not aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and a not otherwise specified depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's combat-related experiences during active service are sufficient to establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and anxiety disorder, is not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for service-connected major depressive disorder was denied as the evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as flattened affect, circumstantial or stereotyped speech, panic attacks more than once a week, difficulty understanding complex commands, impairment of short and long-term memory, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood, or difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia. The evidence received since the previous denial is not new and material.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to provide the Veteran with a Statement of the Case regarding his claim for attorney fees from past-due benefits based on the June 20, 2008 rating decision that granted service connection for dysthymia (claimed as depression) secondary to residuals of left ankle fracture.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disability and determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, resulting in a TDIU rating.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression). The loss of sense of taste and smell are also claimed as secondary to his service-connected mandible fracture residuals or due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.,The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. His claim is based on his combat experience in Vietnam.,The Veteran claims a loss of sense of taste and smell that he believes is related to his service-connected right ramus and mandible fracture or due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's application to reopen his claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD and substance abuse.